A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is test-fired from the Plesetsk launchpad on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia on Oct. 29, 2024. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 22 directed a wide-ranging exercise of the country’s strategic nuclear forces, including the test launch of intercontinental ballistic and cruise missiles. The drills followed his recent announcement that Moscow is actively developing new nuclear weapons.
The exercises involved all components of Russia’s nuclear triad: land, sea, and air, according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS. They coincided with the postponement of a planned summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest.
